Friday, July 06, 2007

Sorry for not posting more. I have some forum posts I can bring over to help fill in the gaps. I've been working about 6 hours a day while watching the baby as well, and going into the office so it's been crazy busy without to much extra time.

Communcation Update

My little one caught on with some ASL signs early on very oddly. I wasn't expecting it. His versions of signs were more like punching the air for milk or raising a fist in his sleep for a diaper change or to go potty. He hasn't really wanted to learn more than those, though recently he was experimenting with the signs for diaper change.

He sometimes signs more with my partner than me. He also talks to my partner more than me. I think mamas are able to interpret a broad range of non-verbal cues and so they sometimes use the signs or "words" more with others. You might check with your DH to see.

Recently Jonah has said "gilk" (milk -- he doesn't have his m's yet) when he wants his dad to bring him to me (I have a name finally! Gilk!) He knows a range of words but only uses them some of the time with me -- though last night we were chatting and he was showing me how much better he's getting at them.

He doesn't know bye-bye at all. Here are some of the things that we use with him all the time and his versions of them when available:

milk - gilk
all done -- all goo, dooo, all dUN (ocassionally)
all good -- all goo
milk is good -- gilk es gooo
go
again
go for a ride in the car
let's go
up - (arches back)
kick, kick, kick -- (and he does)
hello -- hellll-n, ah-coo (sound like the same intonation but its his lazy version)

Jonah's going to be 5 months old on Monday. He barely fits into some of his 12 months size outfits. We've been buying 18 months sizes now. Crazy.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Pottying at 5 months

It's been a while so I thought I would give an update on my almost 5
month old. He did an amazing 9 potties in one day last week out of
the blue. We used almost no diapers. My parents were visiting and
were amazed.

My mom was telling me how they used to have highchairs with cut outs
in the seat and a shelf for a bowl beneath so that the baby could
relieve herself while eating. That seems so degrading to me, almost
like there's no communication involved at all. Perhaps some parents
used them like we do when we EC though.

It took Jonah a week or so before he adjusted to the Baby Bjorn
Little Potty -- plus some trial and error until I figured out how to
best help him use it. I have it on the floor in his bedroom and I
wrap my arm around him and let him rest his chin on it as he needs
to. I also help steady his head against mine and hold one of his
hands with my free one as he wants to. He's pretty into it and when
we are at home he seems to prefer it over the toilet. I keep a box
of tissues and a burp rap nearby to help wipe his bum/face -- he
often spits up while toileting (anyone else notice this?) My partner
is cool with using the little potty as well, but he just helps him
balance on it while holding his shoulders.

The toilet position is still good if he's totally sleepy though as
he can rest against me. He will wake me up if he needs to go while
sleeping. Not all the time but often enough. The frequency of that
has gone down from back at the start of May when I was mucho pooped
out after having my sleep disrupted so much.

In the past couple of weeks he's gotten the knack for standing up
while supported. If he's done on the potty and hasn't communicated
clearly (he's been talking while sticking his tongue out so I have
no idea if he's saying "all done" or what sometimes) he now will put
his feet down and try to stand up.